“We are pleased with the talent and depth of our minor league system, and these five players are well-deserved of a spot on the 40-man roster,” said Zduriencik. “This is a great time to be a Mariners fan and as we start to see these young, talented players arrive at the Major League level. Four years ago I committed to building this organization from the ground up, and this is indicative of that process.”

Catricala, 24, was the Mariners Minor League Player of the Year in 2011 after batting .349 (182x521) with 77 extra base hits and 106 RBI in 133 games with Single-A High Desert and Double-A Jackson. He made the jump the Triple-A Tacoma last season, where he hit .229 (106x463) with 23 doubles and 10 home runs in 122 games for the Rainiers. Catricala played for the Arizona Fall League champion Peoria Javelinas batting .279 (19x68) with 2 home runs and 13 RBI in 19 games playing third base, first base and left field. He finished the AFL season hitting safely in his final 8 games (.419/13x31). The Sacramento, CA native was originally selected by Seattle in the 10th round of the 2009 June draft out of the University of Hawai’i.

Fernandez, 22, went 6-8 with a 3.51 ERA (64 ER, 164.0 IP) in 27 starts combined between Single-A High Desert and Double-A Jackson in 2012. The left-hander set a career-highs in innings pitched and ranked 3rd amongst all Mariners farmhands with 134 strikeouts. Fernandez began the season with the Mavericks before being promoted to Jackson on June 21. He became the first Jackson pitcher in franchise history to post back-to-back 9.0-inning complete games in first 2 starts, June 23 vs. Huntsville (9.0,6,1,1,1,5) and June 28 at Pensacola (9.0,2,0,0,1,8). Fernandez was originally signed by the Mariners as a non-drafted free agent September 29, 2006. Over his first six seasons in the minor leagues, he is 32-25 with 2 saves and a 3.45 ERA (202 ER, 527.2 IP) in 117 games, 76 starts.

LaFromboise (pronounced lah-frahm-BOYCE), 26, had a breakthrough year in his fifth professional season in the Mariners organization. The left-hander combined for a 1.36 ERA (10 ER, 66.1 IP) and a .191 opponent batting average (45x235, 1 HR) while going 6-2 with 6 saves in 47 appearances with Double-A Jackson and Triple-A Tacoma. LaFromboise was named the Rainiers Pitcher of the Year going 5-2 with 4 saves and a 1.59 ERA in 27 relief appearances. He also combined to strand 22 of 23 inherited runners during the season. He posted a 5.54 ERA (8 ER, 13.0 IP) in 13 relief appearances with the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League, including 10 scoreless outings. The Downey, CA native was originally selected by the Mariners in the 8th round of the 2008 June draft out of the University of New Mexico.

Maurer, 22, was named Southern League Most Outstanding Pitcher and the Mariners Most Improved Pitcher, after going 9-2 with a 3.20 ERA (49 ER, 137.2 IP) in 24 starts with Double-A Jackson. The right-hander led the league with a .818 winning percentage and ranked 5th in ERA, while helping Jackson to the best record in the Southern League in 2012 (79-61). Over the course of the season Maurer limited opponents to a .260 (133x512) batting average, while walking 48 and striking out 117. Over his final 14 starts of the season, from June 1-Aug. 16, Maurer posted a 7-1 record with a 2.50 ERA (24 ER, 86.1 IP) and recorded 10 quality starts. He was the Mariners 23rd round selection in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft out of Orange Lutheran (CA) High School. Maurer is 16-17 with a 3.65 ERA (131 ER, 323.0 IP) in 67 games, 58 starts in his four-year minor league career.

Morban, 20, batted .313 (94x300) and recorded a .911 OPS (.316 OBP, .550 SLG) with 16 doubles, 2 triples, 17 home runs and 52 RBI in 76 games with Single-A High Desert. The native of San Cristobal, Dominican Republic was limited to 82 games during the 2012 season with three separate trips to the disabled list. In four minor league seasons, Morban has combined to bat .279 with 26 home runs and 108 RBI. He was originally signed by the Mariners as a non-drafted free agent on July 2, 2008.

Cousins, 27, was claimed off waivers from Toronto on Nov. 6. The outfielder split last season between AAA New Orleans and the Miami Marlins. With the Marlins he appeared in 53 games, batting .163 (14x86) with 4 doubles, 1 triple, 1 home run and 3 RBI. He played all three outfield positions for the Marlins (LF – 6 G/0 GS, CF – 18 G/8 GS, RF – 12 G/6 GS). With New Orleans he batted .296 (69x233) in 61 games. He also played with the Marlins in 2010 (27 G) and 2011 (48 G).

Figgins, 34, appeared in 308 games for the Mariners from 2010-12, batting a combined .227 (240x1056) with 37 doubles, 5 triples, 4 home runs and 57 stolen bases. In 2012 he appeared in 66 games while playing four positions (LF – 38 G/29 GS, 3B – 10 G/6 GS, CF – 9 G/8 GS, RF – 1 G/GS). The Mariners now have 10 days to trade, release or outright Figgins before he becomes a free agent.